Autenticazione degli alimenti

Il capitolo si occupa delle problematiche legate all'assicurazione della autenticità degli alimenti descrivendo brevemente le più moderne tecniche analitiche a disposizione del chimic

Blood orange (Citrus sinensis) as a rich source of nutraceuticals: investigation of bioactive compounds in different parts of the fruit by HPLC-PDA/MS

: This study is part of a wider investigation aimed to sustain the economical value of the by-products generated by the Citrus industry. In particular, the protected geographic indication (PGI) red orange of sicily (known as blood orange) has been analysed by HPLC and by the enzymatic AOAC method. All the by-products contain significant amounts of biologically active compounds (limonoids and flavonoids). The decanted pulps were the most abundant, with the highest amount of flavonoids (130 g/kg) and high amount of limonoids (5.5 g/kg). Seeds were the best source of limonoids with about 10 g/kg. Low amount of anthocyanins were found only in coarse pulps and waste water. The total, the insoluble and the soluble dietary fibre (TDF, IDF and SDF respectively) were also determined. The pulps resulted to be the best source of dietary fibre, based on the amount and on the best insoluble/soluble ratio

Analysis of the carotenoid composition and stability in various overripe fruits by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography

Carotenoids are a class of natural pigments, widely distributed in vegetables and fruits. A comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC) method, based on the use of a cyano and an octodecylsilica column, placed in the first and second dimension, respectively, was applied to evaluate carotenoid composition and stability in selected overripe fruits representing the waste generated by a local food market. This research also evaluates if post-climacteric biochemical changes are linked to carotenoid degradation in the investigated fruits. A total of 22 compounds was separated into seven different chemical classes in the two-dimensional space, and identified by photodiode array (PDA) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection. The results prove that the waste generated by the large distribution of food still represent an important source of bioactives that could be used for other purposes